Wiring new gauges on old sailboat?

[Sailingsantiana]

Hey everyone so I’ve acquired two sets of gauges too install on my 1977 hunter 30 I picked her up as a project to restore and it’s going well, however I am very new at this and running into stand stills

The boat has 2 sending units I believe, temp and oil pressure that are hooked up to the dummy lights that it originally had my question is how do I know if the sending units are compatible with the gauges and how do I power the gauges from the ignition just jump from the positive and negative right? As for the bulbs I’m wiring those up to my running lights so that way they are not always on

Any tips would be fantastic


The engine is a ysb12 any and I mean any info on that engine would be fantastic!

[grantmc]

Here's a Google Drive Link to a Yanmar YSE manual:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kl8...ew?usp=sharing

The YS (E, B and I think M) series are all virtually the same.

[Sailingsantiana]

Thank you so much!

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Sailingsantiana

The boat has 2 sending units I believe, temp and oil pressure that are hooked up to the dummy lights that it originally had my question is how do I know if the sending units are compatible with the gauges

A sending unit for a "warning light" is different from one for a gage.
Units for warning lights can just be a basic on-off switch.
Units for gages have a variable resistor that changes the voltage going to the gage, (temp and pressure gages are basically volt meters with a different dial).
Get hold of the company that made the gages, they'll know what sender to use, probably get the senders at any auto parts store.
If you're wiring-up all new from engine to panel(s), run the wiring loom from the engine to barrier terminal strips, and pre-wire the gage panels with barrier terminal strips.
Now you can re-do gages or engine without cutting wires.
Don't use any wires smaller than 14 gauge.
If you need new key switches get something from Cole-Hersee, not some el-cheapo, keep key switches protected from water.

[Wotname]

Good advice so far up-thread.

You will have difficulty in getting a suitable water temp gauge for a YSB. The YSB is a raw water cooled engine and as such, it operates around 45 to 50 C. (110 to 125 F). This is below the normal range for coolant temperature gauge although a normal gauge will give you an indication of very high temperatures which will about the same time as the temp light switch will activate.

The YSB is the same as the YSE except the gear box housing on the YSB is alloy while the YSE has a cast iron gear box housing.